Father and Daughter
by Titania Le Fey
Summary: Snake talks to his daughter Evie about her cousin.


Snake was rather fond of the living room couch. It was comfortable; put him in the first floor where he could hear where and what the family was up to and made him accessible to them if he was needed. It also offered the plasma TV, not a huge one but a tasteful size one that made basketball look amazing. It was also very close to the liquor cabinet, the kitchen and the fireplace he loved. It was the perfect spot in the house, aside from the Jacuzzi and his own bed.

He stretched on the sofa when he heard Evie come in and call. There was something in her voice that Plissken had rarely heard. She sounded distressed about something.

"In the living room sweetheart." She came in slowly to plot down at his feet. She looked tired and her eyes were puffy. Snake scooted up a little to lean against the arm of the couch.

"Papi."

Snake's eye was fixed on her. "What sweetheart?"

"Do you think Essy will get better?"

When she glanced over the sadness in her expression was almost too much. "Evie, baby, she'll be fine. She just needs a bit more time."

"It's my fault this happened to her."

Snake's brow shot up both because of the words and because Evie was crying. He'd never seen her cry. "It's not your fault."

"It is." She insisted.

Plissken sighed. "How?"

"I should have been there for her."

That was a sentiment Snake felt all too well about so many things in his life. "Come here sweetheart."

Snake motioned for her to come over and get a hug. Evie wasn't that kind usually but at the moment she looked like she needed it. Snake scooted up farther to almost sitting straight up before Evie came over and laid her head on his chest.

"I feel like that all the time." Snake wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Hell I feel like that about things I wasn't even around for. Natural, just means you love her but don't mean that there was really anything you could do."

Evie shook her head. It took time before she looked up. "Wait, what do you feel like this about?"

"Too much." Snake answered offhand not really wanting to go into it.

"Tell me papi."

Snake groaned quietly but conceded her request. "My squadron dying, my parents dying, Sophia dying, Taylor getting shot, Fresno Bob getting skinned, Xena being unhappy here, Hope being abandoned, Essy being almost raped, Cassie being raped, you being raped and abused, Bria being beaten… do you want me to keep going?"

By the time he was done Snake was looking away, shoulders sagging and feeling down on himself. It was his nature to want to take care of the people he cared about. Time and distance never seemed to factor in when he thought about it.

"You can't blame yourself for all of that."

"Then you can't blame yourself for Essy either." Snake spoke with force but still quietly.

His words silenced her before the tears started again. Plissken felt like a monster. His own guilt and now Evie's tears were eating at him.

"Shhh." Snake stroked her hair and back just letting her go. She needed to cry it out then maybe she could talk logically. There was too much emotion to talk her through this. When he was in Evie's position Snake sometimes wished for someone to do this for him. He never did though. He hid what hurt him because everyone around him had so much on their plates. There was so much hurt in his family that he tried day in and day out to erase. He'd take it all on himself if he could.

As she continued to cry Plissken wondered if this was his fault too. Had he been there for Essy then Evie wouldn't be hurt. If he'd had better words that weren't his blunt style maybe she wouldn't cry. He knew this was all wrong but still it went on in his mind. He knew Evie's mental state too well.

The crying seemed to stop. Plissken looked down expecting her to want to talk. That was Evie's way but instead he was confronted by closed eyes. It broke his heart to know she'd cried herself to sleep.

"What am I going to do with you?" Snake whispered to her as she laid there against his chest. "Sounding just like me."

Snake shook his head holding back his desire to laugh. His kids were getting to be like him in everything they did. Plissken wondered if that was something he should blame himself for too. Finally, he let out a long breath and kissed her forehead. "We'll make it through this."


End file.
